It seems the pattern these days that a new Stephen King novel will be greeted by two wildly differing reactions from longterm fans. It's either "great - a real return to form" or "SO disappointing - not a patch on his old stuff!"
The problem is that I generally wait to read King's novels in paperback, so by the time I got round to Under The Dome I'd already read loads of reviews - by people whose opinions on such things I respect - telling me how much they either loved or hated it. And because I'm such a lily-livered milksop when it comes to voicing my own opinions, I'm filled with trepidation at the prospect of writing this review.
Ah, sod it.
I liked it. I'd almost go so far as to say 'loved'. If it was written by anyone other than King. It's just that after so many years as one of SK's biggest fans, we always expect a little more.
The high concept plot involves a small town in Maine (surprise!) that one day finds itself sealed off from the outside world by an impenetrable dome that appears from nowhere. While the US army tries to find a way to break through and rescue the townspeople trapped inside, the politicians and policeforce set up an independent state and refuse to co-operate with the outside world in an attempt to cover up their own crooked dealings.
Those who loved the book talked about King's mastery with a large cast of characters, and how fast and exciting he keeps the narrative - "whizzing from one cliffhanger to the next" says the Telegraph. I'd mostly agree. I felt the 800+ story sagged a little around the page 600 mark, but it certainly rallies for an explosive finale.
Those who hated it complained about the characters being far too black and white, and the rather heavy-handed nature of the allegory - the town becoming a microcosm representing the state of US politics in the 21st century. Well, yes, but I didn't feel it was any more clunky than many other sci fi metaphors, and more importantly it didn't hinder my enjoyment one bit. As to the lack of grey - hell, I read Dean Koontz novels, compared to him, King's got a million different shades in his palate.
Ah, make up your own mind. Opinions are like arseholes - everybody's got one. Mine rarely resembles anybody else's.
This week's Thoughtballoons character is Araña, the new Spider-Girl. I'm not too familiar with this character, although I was a big fan of Tom DeFalco's recently concluded "Daughter Of Spider-Man" incarnation. Still, give Anya a chance. Spidey is.
You can read my one-page Spider-Girl story here. I named it after a My Chemical Romance song, for any emo-kids in the audience.
